Apparatus and method for visualizing music and other sounds

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for visualization of music and other sounds. In one embodiment, the twelve notes of an octave are labeled. When notes are played, the intervals between the notes are visualized by displaying a line between the labels corresponding to the note labels. In some embodiments, the lines representing the intervals are color coded with a different color for each of the six intervals.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/106,475, filed May 12, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/803,325, filed Jun. 24, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No.7,956,273, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/378,693, filed Feb. 18, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,781,662, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/827,264, filed Jul. 11,2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,538,265, issued May 26, 2009, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/830,386 filedJul. 12, 2006, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to sound analysis and, morespecifically, to an apparatus and method for visualizing music and othersounds.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The first painters who ever walked the earth must have had a verylimited palette of color at their disposal. The hues of paint found oncave walls, after all, are few and were certainly related to the nearbyflora and fauna. It must have taken literally thousands of years beforethere were enough pigments gathered together in one place to completethe color spectrum and what's more, someone had to make that ‘magical’connection to the rainbow along the way, first discovering that coloritself is a circle. Retrospectively, this was a groundbreaking moment inthe evolution of human kind, for only afterwards did it become possibleto generate such eventual advances as color photography, X-rays,infrared, and more-accurate maps of the heavens (the exact wavelength oflight being a necessary ingredient in calculating the distance, size,and composition of a visible star).

The evolution of musical understanding has followed a notably similarroute; for, in the beginning, music was obviously not written, but sung.Our current system of musical notation is a relatively recentdevelopment when placed in the evolutionary context of humanity.Thousands and thousands of years must have passed before that firstwritten note: a huge expanse of time during which people simply sangwhat sounded good to their ear, not paying any attention at all, to thefact that music was actually circular by nature.

Lopsided shapes have a “root” or a tendency towards stability: alopsided sound (the Major triad, for example) likes to “sit” in acertain way. Symmetrical shapes, contrarily, have no root: every pointof the shape being inherently equal to every other point. Symmetricalsounds (the fully diminished seventh chord, for example) have no placeto sit and are thus “strange” or unstable. Because of this phenomenom,it is (retrospectively) no wonder that the master musical patterns,evolved over the centuries, ended up being lopsided by nature.

Out of this period of time there evolved three main scales or ‘patterns’of musical tone, each pattern allowing for a complex layering ofinternal structure, These three scales, each made up of 7 notes, wouldeventually become the foundation for virtually all musical education inthe modern world. There are, of course, other scales, and it is possibleto create any arbitrary pattern of notes that one might desire; but thevast majority of musical sound can still be traced back to these threeprimary scales. Although the systems and methods disclosed herein can beused to encompass any possible scale or pattern, without exception, thepresent description of the musical language is, for clarity ofdescription, based upon the three primary scales.

Each of the three main scales is a lopsided conglomeration of sevenintervals:

Major scale: 2 steps, 2 steps, 1 step, 2 steps, 2 steps, 2 steps, 1 step

Harmonic Minor scale: 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1

Melodic Minor scale: 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1

Upon first recognizing these archetypal patterns of seven notes, thesebeautiful lines of tone that allow for complex musical layering, thefirst developers of musical notation decided to use the seven note scaleas a foundation for music's written language. Therefore, our entiremusical system has been based upon the use of seven letters (or notenames) to correspond with the seven notes of the scale: A, B, C, D, E,F. These first developers of musical notation would have had no way ofknowing that the musical scales were, themselves, lopsided entities;that, instead of seven tones, the true musical circle had twelve tones.Because of this discrepancy, the traditional system of musical notationhas been inherently lopsided at its root. With a circle of twelve tonesand only seven note names, there are (of course) five missing notenames. Just as the first painters did not have all of the colors of therainbow at their disposal, the first singers and musicians had no way ofknowing that sound was also circular by nature.

Why is reading and writing music such a difficult skill to master? Itwould certainly be challenging enough, without the fact that thetraditional system uses only seven letter names to try to encompasstwelve notes. But the remaining five notes are then covered using aconvention referred to as sharps (#'s) and flats (b's). What this leadsto is a relatively complex method of reading and writing notes on thestaff, where one has to mentally juggle a key signature with seeminglyarbitrary accidentals (sharps and flats) that are then added one note ata time. The result is that the seven-note scale, which is a lopsidedentity, is presented as a straight line on the traditional musicalnotation staff. On the other hand, a pattern that is truly symmetricalwithin the circle (one that is actually a straight line, such as thechromatic scale, for example) is presented in a lopsided manner on thetraditional musical staff. In our traditional system of musical notationwe never see what we hear; there are significantly more ways than one towrite the same musical idea; and patterns that are lopsided lookstraight, while straight patterns look lopsided. All of thisinefficiency stems from the inherent flaw of the traditional writtensystem being based upon the seven note scales instead of the twelve-tonecircle.

Yet it is commonly understood and accepted that music is, indeed, acircle. Such a concept is not new; it has been around for at least a fewhundred years, perhaps coming to prominence in the mid 1700's. It wasthen that Johann Sebastian Bach became one of the champions of the new‘Well-Temperament’ movement (i.e., circular tuning of the piano.) Thisnew method of tuning the ‘clavier’ (an early version of the piano) madeit suddenly possible to play the instrument in every possible ‘key’ ofthe twelve-tone circle.

There is therefore a need for different systems and methods of musicalnotation that allow music to be visualized in its true circular form.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, in one aspect, method for visualizing music is disclosed,comprising the steps of: (a) labeling the perimeter of a circle withtwelve labels corresponding to twelve respective notes in an octave,such that moving clockwise or counter-clockwise from a first label to anadjacent second label represents a musical half-step; (b) identifying anoccurrence of a first one of the twelve notes; (c) identifying anoccurrence of a second one of the twelve notes; (d) identifying a firstlabel corresponding to the first note; (e) identifying a second labelcorresponding to the second note; (f) creating a first line connectingthe first label and the second label, wherein: (1) each line is a firstcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by a halfstep; (2) each line is a second color if the first note and the secondnote are separated by a whole step; (3) each line is a third color ifthe first note and the second note are separated by a minor third; (4)each line is a fourth color if the first note and the second note areseparated by a major third; (5) each line is a fifth color if the firstnote and the second note are separated by a perfect fourth; and (6) eachline is a sixth color if the first note and the second note areseparated by a tri-tone.

In another aspect, a method for visualizing music is disclosed,comprising the steps of: (a) providing a helix having a plurality ofturns; (b) labeling the perimeter of the helix with labels, wherein: (1)each turn of the helix has a respective group of twelve labelscorresponding to twelve respective notes in a respective octave; and (2)moving clockwise or counter-clockwise on the helix from any label to anadjacent label represents a musical half-step; (c) identifying anoccurrence of a first note; (d) identifying which of the twelverespective notes and which respective octave corresponds to the firstnote; (e) identifying an occurrence of a second note; (f) identifyingwhich of the twelve respective notes and which respective octavecorresponds to the second note; (g) identifying a first labelcorresponding to the first note; (h) identifying a second labelcorresponding to the second note; (i) creating a first line connectingthe first label and the second label, wherein: (1) each line is a firstcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by a halfstep; (2) each line is a second color if the first note and the secondnote are separated by a whole step; (3) each line is a third color ifthe first note and the second note are separated by a minor third; (4)each line is a fourth color if the first note and the second note areseparated by a major third; (5) each line is a fifth color if the firstnote and the second note are separated by a perfect fourth; and (6) eachline is a sixth color if the first note and the second note areseparated by a tri-tone.

According to another aspect, a method for visualizing music isdisclosed, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a helix having aplurality of turns; (b) labeling the perimeter of the helix with labels,wherein: (1) each turn of the helix has a respective plurality of labelscorresponding to a plurality of respective notes in a respective octave;and (2) moving clockwise or counter-clockwise on the helix from anylabel to an adjacent label represents a first interval; (c) identifyingan occurrence of a first note; (d) identifying which of the plurality ofrespective notes and which respective octave corresponds to the firstnote; (e) identifying an occurrence of a second note; (f) identifyingwhich of the plurality of respective notes and which respective octavecorresponds to the second note; (g) identifying a first labelcorresponding to the first note; (h) identifying a second labelcorresponding to the second note; (i) creating a first line connectingthe first label and the second label, wherein: (1) each line is a firstcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by the firstinterval; (2) each line is a second color if the first note and thesecond note are separated by a second interval; (3) each line is a thirdcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by a thirdinterval; (4) each line is a fourth color if the first note and thesecond note are separated by a fourth interval; (5) each line is a fifthcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by a fifthinterval; and (6) each line is a sixth color if the first note and thesecond note are separated by a sixth interval.

According to another aspect, a method for visualizing sound isdisclosed, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a helix having aplurality of turns; (b) labeling the perimeter of the helix with labels,wherein: (1) each turn of the helix has a respective plurality of labelscorresponding to a plurality of respective sounds in a respectiveplurality of frequency ranges; and (2) moving clockwise orcounter-clockwise on the helix from any label to an adjacent labelrepresents a first frequency interval; (c) identifying an occurrence ofa first sound; (d) identifying which of the plurality of respectivesounds and which respective plurality of frequency ranges corresponds tothe first sound; (e) identifying an occurrence of a second sound; (f)identifying which of the plurality of respective sounds and whichrespective plurality of frequency ranges corresponds to the secondsound; (g) identifying a first label corresponding to the first sound;(h) identifying a second label corresponding to the second sound; (i)creating a first line connecting the first label and the second label,wherein: (1) each line is a first color if the first note and the secondnote are separated by the first frequency interval; (2) each line is asecond color if the first note and the second note are separated by asecond frequency interval; (3) each line is a third color if the firstnote and the second note are separated by a third frequency interval;(4) each line is a fourth color if the first note and the second noteare separated by a fourth frequency interval; (5) each line is a fifthcolor if the first note and the second note are separated by a fifthfrequency interval; and (6) each line is a sixth color if the first noteand the second note are separated by a sixth frequency interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed incolor. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the six intervals.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the chromatic scale.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a first whole-tonescale.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a second whole-tonescale.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the first and secondwhole-tone scales.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a first diminishedscale.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a second diminishedscale.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a third diminishedscale.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the first throughthird diminished scales.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a first augmentedscale.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a second augmentedscale.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a third augmentedscale.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a fourth augmentedscale.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the first throughfourth augmented scales.

FIG. 16 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the circle offifths.

FIG. 17 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a first tri-tone.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing all six tri-tones.

FIG. 19 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major triad.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a minor triad.

FIG. 21 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a diminished triad.

FIG. 22 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an augmented triad.

FIG. 23 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major seventhchord.

FIG. 24 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a dominant seventhchord.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a minor seventhchord.

FIG. 26 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a half-diminishedseventh chord.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a fully-diminishedseventh chord.

FIG. 28 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a minor-majorseventh chord.

FIG. 29 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an augmented-majorseventh chord.

FIG. 30 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an augmentedflat-seventh chord.

FIG. 31 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a flat five seventhchord.

FIG. 32 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major scale.

FIG. 33 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a harmonic minorscale.

FIG. 34 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a melodic-minorscale.

FIG. 35 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a C major triadwithin the C major scale.

FIG. 36 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a C major seventhchord within the C major scale.

FIG. 37 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an F major triadwithin the C major scale.

FIG. 38 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a B diminishedtriad within the C major scale.

FIG. 39 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a D minor seventhchord within the C major scale.

FIG. 40 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a G dominantseventh chord within the C major scale.

FIG. 41 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a B half diminishedseventh chord within the C major scale.

FIG. 42 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a G augmentedflat-seventh chord within the C harmonic minor scale.

FIG. 43 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an F flat-fiveseventh chord within the C melodic-minor scale.

FIG. 44 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a B fullydiminished seventh chord.

FIGS. 45-47 are diagrams of a helix showing a B diminished seventhchord.

FIG. 48 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing two C augmentedtriads played simultaneously.

FIGS. 49-51 are diagrams of a helix showing two C augmented triadsplayed simultaneously.

FIG. 52 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing an F minor triad.

FIGS. 53-55 are diagrams of a helix showing an F minor triad coveringthree octaves.

FIG. 56 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a C major scale.

FIGS. 57-59 are diagrams of a helix showing a C major scale.

FIG. 60 is a schematic block diagram showing a music and soundvisualization system according to one embodiment.

FIG. 61 is a schematic process flow diagram showing a method forvisualizing music and sound according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of thedisclosure, reference will now be made to certain embodiments thereofand specific language will be used to describe the same. It willnevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of thedisclosure is thereby intended, such alterations, further modificationsand further applications of the principles of the invention as describedherein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in theart to which the disclosure relates.

As will be apparent from the disclosure contained herein, the presentinvention will find application in any field where the identificationand analysis of sound is useful. Most of the described embodimentsrelate to the use of the systems and methods of the present inventionfor the visualization of music, as that is a significant application forthe present invention. However, the repeated references to music are forconvenience of description, and those with ordinary skill in the artwill recognize that the present invention may be applied to many otherfields besides music, some of which are enumerated in the description.

What is described in the main embodiments herein is a set ofmathematically based, color-coded diagrams that can be used to explainand teach the theory and structures of music from the most basicunderstanding to the most complex, as well as to visualize music forentertainment purposes. Both geometric form and the color spectrum areused to present the building blocks of music (the basic shapes) in a waynever before seen. The result is that, for the first time, it becomespossible to view the interweaving layers of patterns within patternsthat exist in our musical language; that is, to see while listening tomusic in real time, an exact visual translation of the accompanyingmusical sound.

The following description and accompanying geometric, color-coded MASTERKEY™ diagrams will reveal the true single key of tonal music in a clearmanner. In accordance with this disclosure, these diagrams portray thevisual representation of musical sound and, as such, they are incrediblyefficient learning tools. The language of music (like the writtenlanguage, or the mathematical language) has a necessary vocabulary andbasic structure that must first be deciphered and then absorbed in orderto gain true mastery. The following description and figures will breakdown the complexity of all possible musical structures into their mostsimple forms. The structures these diagrams represent can then be usedto effectively master any instrument based on the twelve tone circle.Furthermore, these structures can be used to visualize music forentertainment and edification purposes.

If we were to take it upon ourselves to learn the piano, without thehelp of a teacher, then we might begin our efforts by simply pressingdown the various keys—one at a time—thus experimenting with themultitude of different sounds that can be produced. After enoughpersistence in this effort, we would eventually be led to the discoverythat some of these sounds ‘matched up’ with one another—the onlydifference being in how ‘high’ or ‘low’ these relative matches were.Once we could visually identify these ‘matches in sound,’ (once we couldsee which keys to press) we would quickly realize that the matches camein regularly calculated intervals. A closer look at thispattern—counting how many keys (steps) there were between matches—wouldreveal the ‘master circle’ of twelve tones. There are twelve equal stepsbetween matches.

As shown in FIG. 1, the twelve-tone circle, indicated generally at 10,is the basis of all western, as well as much of the world's, music. Itused for virtually every genre of music in the western hemisphere, fromJazz, to Blues, to Rock, to Country, to R&B, to Punk, to Classical.Every orchestral instrument, from the violin, to the trumpet, to thepiano, revolves around this same twelve tone circle. It is also the truefoundation of virtually all written music.

The twelve-tone circle 10 is the first of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams. Itis the template upon which all of the other diagrams are built. Twelvepoints 10.1-10.12 are geometrically placed in equal intervals around theperimeter of the circle 10 in the manner of a clock; twelve points, eachthirty degrees apart (although the present disclosure comprehends thepositioning of points 10.1-10.12 at positions that are not exactly, butare substantially, thirty degrees apart). Each of the points 10.1-10.12on the circle 10 represents one of the twelve pitches. The names of thevarious pitches can then be plotted around the circle 10. It will beappreciated that in traditional musical notation there are more than onename for each pitch (e.g., A^(#) is the same as B^(b)). This causes muchinefficiency and eventual confusion, as identical pieces of music can be‘spelled’ in a number of different ways. In the illustrated embodiment,the circle 10 has retained these traditional labels, although thepresent disclosure comprehends that alternative labels could be used,such as the letters A through L, the numbers 1 through 12, or other morearbitrary symbols. Furthermore, the circle 10 of FIG. 1 uses the sharpnotes as labels; however, it will be understood that some or all ofthese sharp notes could be labeled with their flat equivalents and thatsome of the non-sharp and non-flat notes could be labeled with the sharpor flat equivalents.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thepresent invention is in no way limited to visualization of music usingonly a twelve note division of the notes. There are other musicalsystems around the world that are not based upon twelve notes, such asthe 24 (or 22) note system of much eastern music. The systems andmethods disclosed herein may utilize any desired segmentation of therange of sounds being visualized. For example, in the non-musicalapplications of the present invention, it may be desirable to divide theanalyzed spectrum into division as small as possible, perhaps billionsof them. Furthermore, the notes or sounds do not have to be arranged ona circle, and the present invention comprehends the arrangement of notesor sounds on any surface (two or three dimensional), such as on apolyhedron or on an image of a human mouth, just to name twonon-limiting examples. Therefore, it should be understood that thetwelve-tone circle 10 is used herein only for convenience ofillustration.

The basic twelve-tone circle 10 represents the first ‘generation’ of theMASTER KEY™ diagrams and it is created by focusing on one note at atime. The next ‘generation’ of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams involvesthinking in terms of two notes. In music, shapes of two connected notesare referred to as ‘intervals.’ The Interval diagram, shown in FIG. 2,is the second of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams, and is formed by connectingthe top point 10.12 of the twelve-tone circle 10 to every other point10.1-10.11. The ensuing lines—their relative length and color—representthe various ‘intervals.’ Beginning at the top (point 10.12), as wetravel one point away from our point of origin (clockwise in thisinstance), we encounter the first of the intervals: the half step 12.Two points away, in our continuing clockwise motion, and we encounterthe whole step 14. Three points away and we find the minor thirdinterval 16. Four points away: the major third interval 18. Five pointsaway: the perfect fourth 20. Six points away: the tri-tone interval 22.The next step is important: as we proceed to the seventh point 10.7 in aclockwise direction around the circle 10, we find that we have passedthe maximum distance away from our point of origin 10.12. Travelingseven points in a clockwise direction is the same as traveling fivepoints in a counter-clockwise direction. Each successive step takes usback to our starting point in descending fashion—the left side of thecircle 10 effectively mirroring the right side—which means that thereare no more new intervals to be discovered. Thus, there are only sixbasic intervals in all of music.

Each of these six intervals (each line 12-22) has a different andtotally unique sound. What's more, when any two pitches on thetwelve-tone circle 10 are generated at the same time, one of these sixintervals 12-22 can always be traced. Most importantly, the two-noteshapes (the intervals 12-22) are the effective building blocks of alllarger musical structures.

Now we should discuss the relevance of color within the MASTER KEY™diagrams. It is only a striking coincidence, but it turns out that thesix basic intervals 12-22 of music overlap with the six basic colors ofthe rainbow (counting blue and indigo as the same color). Color adds awonderful dimension and will remain very significant throughout the restof the description and diagrams, providing yet another way (aside fromspatial recognition) to comprehend the basic structures of music. As thestructures continue to get larger and more complicated, each interval(each line) will continue to remain the same color. In a preferredembodiment, the interval line 12 for a half step is colored red, theinterval line 14 for a whole step is colored orange, the interval line16 for a minor third is colored yellow, the interval line 18 for a majorthird is colored green, the interval line 20 for a perfect fourth iscolored blue, and the interval line 22 for a tri-tone is colored purple.

Although the six intervals in the illustrated embodiment are colored tocorrespond to the colors of the rainbow, it will be appreciated that theparticular colors used may change in various embodiments. The order ofcolors assigned to the different intervals may change, or a completelydifferent set of colors may be used. For example, each interval could becolored with a unique shade of red, from a light red to a dark brickred. What is desirable is that there is a gradated color spectrumassigned to the intervals so that they may be distinguished from oneanother by the use of color, which the human eye can detect and processvery quickly. By assigning colors whose frequency increases with theincreasing separation between the notes defining an interval, the vieweris able to make an intuitive connection between the color and theinterval.

The next group of MASTER KEY™ diagrams pertain to extending the variousintervals 12-22 to their completion around the twelve-tone circle 10.This concept is illustrated in FIG. 3, which is the diagram of thechromatic scale. The chromatic scale takes the initial interval—the halfstep 12—and extends it all the way around the circle 10 until it finallyreturns to its point of origin. As shown in FIG. 4, we are left with atwelve-pointed circle 30 etched in red (since the half step interval 12is red in the preferred embodiment). In musical terms, this pattern 30is referred to as the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale is importantfor one very significant reason: it touches each of the twelve possiblenotes 10.1-10.12. As described hereinbelow, there is only one otherpattern that shares this characteristic.

Before continuing with the other five intervals, the relevance ofextending the intervals to their completion around the circle should beexplained. Since our musical system is based almost entirely from asmall group of seven note patterns, the resulting method of musicalnotation is asymmetrical. In fact, this unevenness is cause forvirtually all of the complication and misunderstanding experienced bymusical newcomers. The scales themselves are lopsided patterns combiningmore than one interval. The major scale, for example, follows thispattern: starting on any note of the circle 10, move forward a wholestep 14—another whole step 14—a half step 12—a whole step 14—a wholestep 14—a whole step 14—and finally another half step 12. In traditionalmusical notation (music written on the staff) this pattern(W-W-H-W-W-W-H) is portrayed as a straight line. This is an example ofhow our traditional musical system is extremely inefficient. The scalesare not straight lines, but are, instead, asymmetrical combinations ofmultiple intervals. One cannot truly understand an asymmetricalcombination of multiple intervals before one understands the symmetricalnature of the individual patterns. This is why it is desirable to takethe intervals 12-22 to their completion around the circle 10. It issimply to acquire a groundwork of the symmetrical patterns, so that onecan have a true foundation with which to build one's eventualunderstanding. This allows one to make better sense of the subsequent,more complicated patterns.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the second interval to be extended around thecircle is the whole step 14. Connecting a line 14 to every other pointon the twelve-tone circle 10 creates the recognizable shape of a hexagon40. Colored in orange, this hexagonal pattern is musically referred toas the whole-tone scale 40. Taking up only six of the twelve points10.1-10.12 on the circle 10, however, one whole-tone scale 40 won't fillall of the twelve possible points 10.1-10.12. A second hexagon 40, asshown in FIG. 5, is needed for the circle 10 to be complete, and thus,there are two whole tone scales 40 in the completed musical spectrum, ascan be seen in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-10, extending the minor third interval 16around the twelve-tone circle 10 gives us the image of a square 70.Yellow in color, this square, produced by consecutive minor thirds 16,gives us the sound of the diminished scale 70. Since a square is made byconnecting four points, and since four goes into twelve three times, ittakes three squares 70 to fill in all possible points in the twelve-tonecircle 10. Thus, there are three diminished scales 70 that must belearned in order to complete the spectrum.

Referring to FIGS. 11-15, the major third interval 18 is green in color,and extending it in consecutive lines around the twelve-tone circle 10leaves us with a three-pointed triangle 1100. The shape of the triangleis referred to, in music, as the augmented scale 1100. Sticking to thepreviously demonstrated pattern, three goes into twelve four times.Thus, there are four possible augmented scales 1100 (four triangles)within the circle 10 of twelve notes.

Arriving at the perfect fourth interval 20, as shown in FIG. 16, weencounter something special. Connecting every fifth point around thecircle 10 creates a very interesting shape. Star-like in structure, bluein color, this pattern of connected perfect fourths is referred to, inmusical terms, as the circle of fifths 1600. It is perhaps the mostimportant pattern in all of music. Not only is this pattern the basis ofthe various key signatures (the coding of ‘flats’ and ‘sharps’ which isused to communicate which scale a particular piece is centered around),but it is also, arguably, the most powerful training pattern thatexists. The circle of fifths 1600, like the chromatic scale 30, toucheseach of the twelve possible notes 10.1-10.12 of the twelve-tone circle10 before returning to its point of origin. Following the circle offifths 1600 during training exercises will insure that each musicalstructure has been played in every possible key. The importance of thecircle of fifths 1600 is encountered again and again throughout thestudy of music.

The last of the intervals, the tri-tone interval 22, is without-a-doubtthe most important of the two-note shapes. Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18,extending the tri-tone interval 22 around the circle 10 takes us to thecircle's opposite pole. In other words, the tri-tone interval 22 cutsthe twelve-tone circle 10 exactly in half. Purple in color, the extendedtri-tone interval 22 remains a two note shape (leaping six notes at atime takes you back to your starting point in only two jumps) and, sincetwo goes into twelve six times, six tri-tones are needed before thecircle of twelve points is completely filled in. The tri-tone is thekeystone of the twelve-tone circle 10. Sticking to the previouslydemonstrated pattern, two goes into twelve six times. Thus, there aresix possible tri-tones 22 (six diameter lines) within the circle 10 oftwelve notes. Musically speaking, the tri-tone is dissonant (clashing)and is, for most people, very difficult to learn, but learning toaccurately sing and hear the tri-tone will result in one's acquisitionof ‘perfect intonation’ (keeping every note ‘in tune’) and eventual‘perfect pitch’ (knowing exactly which notes have been played or sungjust from having heard them). The tri-tone is so dissonant that earlymusicians called it the ‘devil tone’ and tried to avoid it at all costs.

The next generation of MASTER KEY™ diagrams is based upon musical shapesthat are built with three notes. In musical terms, three note structuresare referred to as triads. There are only four triads in all of diatonicmusic, and they have the respective names of major, minor, diminished,and augmented. These four, three-note shapes are represented in theMASTER KEY™ diagrams as different sized triangles, each built withvarious color coded intervals. Triads are very important in music, asthey form the basic structures of musical sound upon which all else isadded.

As can be seen in FIG. 19, the first of the triads, the major triad1900, is built by stacking (in a clockwise direction) a major third 18,a minor third 16, and then a perfect fourth 20. In the major triad 1900diagram, the shape is represented by a triangle with three sides in therespective colors of green, yellow, and blue. The spacing of the linesis also constant and predictable, following the already statedguidelines of the six possible intervals. As played, the major triadsounds ‘happy.’

The second triad, as seen in FIG. 20, is the minor triad 2000, and isbuilt by stacking a minor third 16, a major third 18, and then a perfectfourth 20 (also in a clockwise order.) The respective colors of thesides of this triangle are yellow, then green, and then blue. As played,the minor triad 2000 sounds ‘sad.’

The third triad, the diminished triad 2100, is shown in FIG. 21 and iscreated by stacking two minor thirds 16, followed by a tri-tone 22. Thecolors of this triangle are respectively yellow, yellow, and purple. Asplayed, the sound of the diminished triad 2100 is perhaps best describedas ‘scary.’ The diminished triad 2100 was often used in silent movies atpoints of dramatic climax.

The last triad, the augmented triad 2200, is shown in FIG. 22 and iscreated by stacking three consecutive major thirds 18. A perfectequilateral triangle, the augmented triad 2200 is exactly the same asthe augmented scale 1100. As seen in FIG. 22, the augmented triad 2200is totally green in color. When played, the sound of the augmented chord2200 can perhaps best be related to the world of cartoons. The augmentedchord/scale 2200/1100 is frequently played while a cartoon character is‘seeing stars’ after being hit on the head. The word ‘dreamy’ might bestdescribe its sound.

The next group of MASTER KEY™ diagrams is developed from four notes at atime. Four note chords, in music, are referred to as seventh chords.There are nine types of seventh chords presented in the MASTER KEY™diagrams. While there are jazz chords that are five, six, and even sevennote chords, the four note chords act as a true basis for understandingmusic. Combining the four-note shapes in various ways can generate anylarger jazz chord. The respective names of the seventh chords are asfollows: major seventh, dominant seventh, minor seventh, half-diminishedseventh, fully-diminished seventh, minor-major seventh, augmented-majorseventh, augmented flat-seventh, and flat-five seventh.

FIG. 23 shows the diagram of the first seventh chord, the major seventhchord 2300, which is created by stacking the following intervals (asalways, in a clockwise manner): a major third, a minor third 16, anothermajor third 18, and a half step 12. The above description reveals theouter shell of the major seventh chord 2300 (a four-sided polyhedron);however, general observation will quickly reveal a new pair of‘internal’ intervals, which haven't been seen in previous diagrams (inthis instance, two perfect fourths 20). This is simply due to the natureof a four-sided pattern and the result of connecting every point toevery other point. Closer inspection will reveal previously describedthree-note shapes now found in new combination with one another In thisinstance, a major triad 1900 and a minor triad 2000 are over-lapped tocreate the more advanced major seventh chord 2300. Each four note shape,like every other shape, has its own unique sound. However, thecomplexity of description now begins to increase. The major seventhchord 2300 has the ‘happy’ major triad 1900 as its base and an extra‘easing’ tone that reduces clarity and stability, making the majorseventh chord 2300 sound both ‘pleasing’ and ‘wistful.’

The next diagram is the dominant seventh chord, as shown in FIG. 24 andindicated generally at 2400. This shape 2400 is created by consecutivelystacking a major third 18, a minor third 16, another minor third 16, anda whole step 14. The internal intervals of this shape are the perfectfourth 20 and the tri-tone 22. This shape 2400 can also be understood asthe overlapping of a major triad 1900 with a diminished triad 2100. Asplayed, the resulting sound can perhaps best be described as ‘happy,’and yet with a tendency towards motion. The dominant seventh chord 2400is found very frequently in practically every genre of music. It isperhaps the most important of the seventh chords in that it is mostoften used as the second to last chord in musical endings. Thistransition, from a dominant seventh chord 2400 to either a major triad1900 or minor triad 2000, is called a ‘cadence.’ The ‘cadence’ is howcomposers establish solidity in musical composition. On a more practicalnote, the sound of the dominant seventh chord is perhaps most readilyassociated with ‘The Blues.’

Now referring to FIG. 25, we next encounter the minor seventh chord,indicated generally at 2500. Stacking the intervals of a minor third 16,a major third 18, another minor third 16, and a whole step 14 leaves uswith the distinguishable shape of a minor seventh chord 2500. Theinternal intervals of this shape are, once again, two perfect fourths20. A minor triad 2000 overlapped with a major triad 1900 will alsosuffice in describing this four note pattern. The minor seventh chord2500 is mathematically the most frequently encountered seventh chord inmusic. The minor seventh chord 2500 has the minor triad 2000 as itsfoundation and, therefore, it is darker, less happy, and has amore-intense sound than either the major seventh chord 2300 or dominantseventh chord 2400. It is also found in practically every classificationof music that exists. Like the dominant seventh chord 2400, the minorseventh chord 2500 also has a tendency to suggest motion.

The half-diminished seventh chord, as shown in FIG. 26 and indicatedgenerally at 2600, is built by consecutively stacking two minor thirds16, a major third 18, and a whole step 14. A tri-tone 22 and a perfectfourth 20 are its internal intervals, and its two recognizable threenote shapes are the combined diminished triad 2100 and minor triad 2000.The half-diminished seventh chord 2600 is not as common as the threepreviously-described chords, yet it is still found in most musicalgenres. ‘Delicate’ and ‘beautiful,’ the sound of the half-diminishedseventh chord 2600 wasn't commonplace in orchestral music until midwaythrough the 1800's. At that point in time, the ‘Romantic’ era wasushering in the use of maximum color and diversity in music, and thehalf-diminished seventh chord 2600 came into vogue.

As can be seen in FIG. 27, stacking four consecutive minor thirds 16gives us the fully-diminished seventh chord, indicated generally at2700. The same pattern as the diminished scale, the fully diminishedseventh chord 2700 is perfectly square in shape. The internal intervalsof two tri-tones 22 effectively subdivide the square into four equalsections. The most important aspect of the shape of the fully-diminishedseventh chord 2700 is that it is completely symmetrical in nature.Because of this balance, the fully diminished seventh chord 2700 has no“root” or bottom point and is completely unbiased in its direction offocus. In other words, after moving into a fully-diminished seventhchord 2700, a composer can leap in any possible direction around thetwelve-tone circle 10. The fully diminished seventh chord 2700, then, isoften used to pivot the larger patterns, like the scales, in thismanner. The sound of the fully diminished seventh chord 2700 can, again,best be associated with its use during silent movies at critical momentsof heightened tension, e.g., a woman tied to the railroad tracks. Thefully-diminished seventh chord 2700 is almost always used to enhance thesense of motion, or movement, of music.

The sixth four note shape is that of the minor-major seventh chord. Thischord, as shown in FIG. 28 and indicated generally at 2800, is built byconsecutively stacking a minor third 16, two major thirds 18, and a halfstep 12. The internal intervals are a major third 18 and a perfectfourth 20. A minor triad 2000 and an augmented triad 2200 can easily beseen as the subcomponents of this larger, four note structure. The minormajor seventh chord 2800 is much less commonly heard than the previouslydescribed seventh chords. Rather dissonant and ‘unsettling’ by nature,this four note structure has both the ‘sad’ sound of the minor triad2000 combined with the ‘dreamy’ sound of the augmented triad 2200.Perhaps its most common affiliation is with the James Bond films, whereit is used in a great many instances to mark a scene change,particularly after Bond has killed someone.

The most unfamiliar, and least heard, of the four note shapes isdefinitely the augmented-major seventh chord. As is shown in FIG. 29,the augmented-major minor seventh chord 2900 is formed by stacking twomajor thirds 18, a minor third 16, and a half step 12. This resultsresult in the most uncommon of the four note shapes. A perfect fourth 20and a major third 18 make up the internal intervals, and an augmentedtriad 2200, overlapped with a less obvious major triad 1900, result inthe sub-structure of this unique, four-sided polyhedron. Theaugmented-major seventh chord 2900 is very rare and is not oftenencountered in most music.

The last two types of seventh chords are found primarily in jazz andtwentieth century music and will be discussed together. The first ofthese chords, shown in FIG. 30 and indicated generally at 3000, is theaugmented flat-seventh chord. It is made by consecutively stacking twomajor thirds 18 and two whole steps 14. Internal intervals are a majorthird 18 and a tri-tone 22. Shown in FIG. 31 and indicated generally at3100, the flat five seventh chord is made by consecutively stacking amajor third 18, a whole step 14, another major third 18, and anotherwhole step 14. Internal intervals are two tri-tones 22. These last twoseventh chords are unique, because they are not made, as were the sevenpreviously described chords, by combining two triads. The augmented flatseventh chord 3000 obviously uses the augmented chord 2200 as its base,with the fourth note (the flat seventh) giving the chord a dominantseventh feel. The flat five seventh chord 3100 also has the dominantseventh feel and yet no specific triad can be traced to its foundation.Notice that both of these chords are more symmetrical in shape than therest of the seventh-chords. These sounds are found primarily in jazz andin modern music as moments of highlight or emphasis. Stevie Wonder usesthese chords frequently, as did George Gershwin.

Aside from their lopsided nature, the scales remain to this day theabsolute foundation of the world's musical system. Every musicalstructure that has been presented thus far in the MASTER KEY™ diagramsof FIGS. 1-31, aside from the six basic intervals, has come directly outof the three main scales.

Scales are seven note patterns. These seven notes, also formulated bystacking various, consecutive intervals, are repeated over and over, inan endless cycle, thereby filling in the complete auditory range of anyinstrument. Three scales make up the virtual entirety of all diatonicmusic. Different scales can be found in places like India, the MiddleEast, and the Orient; but in most cases these ‘foreign scales’ can stillbe overlapped with the three main scales of the diatonic world. Thethree main scales are as follows; the Major Scale, the Harmonic-MinorScale, and the Melodic-Minor Scale.

The major scale is the most common of the three main scales; it is heardvirtually every time music is played or listened to in the westernworld. As shown in FIG. 32 and indicated generally at 3200, the MASTERKEY™ diagram clearly shows the major scale's 3200 makeup and itsnaturally lopsided nature. Starting at the top of the circle 10, onetravels clockwise around the scale's outer shell. The following patternof intervals is then encountered: whole step 14, whole step 14, halfstep 12, whole step 14, whole step 14, whole step 14, half step 12. Themost important aspect of each scale diagram is, without a doubt, thediagram's outer ‘shell.’ Therefore, the various internal intervals inthe scale's interior are not shown. Since we started at point 10.12, orC, the scale 3200 is the C major scale. Other major scales may becreated by starting at one of the other notes on the twelve-tone circle10. For example, if we start at point 10.4, which corresponds to thenote E, and trace out the whole step and half step pattern of the majorscale, we will create the E major scale (not shown).

The harmonic minor scale is shown in FIG. 33 and indicated generally at3300. The harmonic minor scale 3300 is made up of the following,consecutively stacked intervals: whole step 14, half step 12, whole step14, whole step 14, half step 12, minor third 16, half step 12. Thispattern of notes is heard less frequently than that of its counterpart,the major scale 3200, but the harmonic-minor scale 3300 still fills animportant role in most genres of music. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Dminor is based primarily upon the harmonic minor scale 3300, as is muchHispanic music.

Also one of the less frequently encountered scales, the melodic-minorscale still plays an important role in the musical world. The melodicminor scale is illustrated in FIG. 34 and indicated generally at 3400.The melodic-minor scale 3400 can be seen as an effective bridge betweenthe major scale 3200 and the harmonic-minor scale 3300, combiningnoteworthy elements of each pattern. As can be seen in FIG. 34, themelodic-minor scale's 3400 framework is as follows: whole step 14, halfstep 12, whole step 14, whole step 14, whole step 14, whole step 14,half step 12. Composers often alternate between the harmonic-minor scale3300 and the melodic-minor scale 3400 in their compositions. Themelodic-minor scale 3400 has led to some interesting musicalachievements; the theme song from The Simpsons, for example, comesdirectly out of the melodic-minor scale 3400.

The MASTER KEY™ diagrams previously described and shown representvirtually every shape that exists within the language of modern music.They are relatively few in number: six two-note shapes, four three-noteshapes, nine four-note shapes, and three seven-note patterns. Why,however, are there only the above mentioned shapes? Why only six two-note shapes, four three-note shapes, nine four-note shapes, and threescales? The answer to this very important question is found by taking acloser look at the makeup of the three scales. A brief explanation ofthe scale modes will now be given.

As has already been stated, the scales are patterns of seven notes. Eachof the seven notes of a scale can be numbered:

. . . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . .

A scale repeating itself over and over would then appear as such:

. . . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . .

As a musician progresses with his or her musical learning, it eventuallybecomes apparent that a scale doesn't have to always begin on notenumber one, as

. . . 1,2,34,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1 . . .

Indeed, keeping the basic pattern of seven consecutive intervals, andtherefore keeping the same scale, one might want to begin at the secondnote of the scale, as

. . . 2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2 . . . ;

or perhaps the third note:

. . . 3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3 . . . ;

or perhaps the fourth, fifth, sixth, or even seventh note:

. . . 4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4 . . .

. . . 5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5 . . .

. . . 6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6 . . .

. . . 7, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . .

Each of these respective starting points represents one of the variousmodes of the scale. Since a scale is a pattern of seven notes, there areseven modes within each scale. The most beautiful part about the modesis that each mode offers a completely unique musical sound. Indeed, ifwe take a closer look at one of the three scale diagrams, we will findthat within each mode of the scale we can build a particular three-noteand a particular four-note shape.

Referring again to the diagram of the major scale 3200, with specificreference to FIGS. 35 and 36, focus specifically at the top-most point10.12 of this pattern. Traveling in a clockwise direction, as in all ofthe MASTER KEY™ diagrams, the top point 10.12 represents the startingpoint of the C major scale. If each of the scale points were numbered 1through 7, this would be point number 1. Now, instead of traveling alongthe path in adjacent steps on the scale 3200, leap to every other noteof the scale, stopping after the second leap on note number 5. We nowhave three notes determined, all of them fitting within the first modeof the major scale 3200, i.e., . . . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . . or 1,3,5. Notethat, as illustrated in FIG. 35, these three notes connect into atriangle and that the triangle is a recognizable one; it is, in fact,the C major triad 1900. Leaping once more along the scale 3200 adds afourth point to the shape, which happens to be the seventh note of thescale 3200, and thus we have the appropriate seventh chord of the givenmode: in this case a C major seventh chord 2300, i.e., . . .1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . . or . . . 1,3,5,7. This is illustrated in FIG. 36.One can repeat this same process, over and over, starting on any one ofthe seven points of each scale. Each of these modes will have aparticular three-note and four-note shape that will always be presentwhenever that ‘parent’ mode is being played.

For example, if we apply the three note pattern to the mode . . .4,5,6,7,1,2,3 . . . we get the F major triad 3700 within the C majorscale 3200, i.e. . . . 4,5,6,7,1,2,3 . . . or 4,6,1. This is illustratedin FIG. 37. Similarly, if we apply the three note pattern to the mode .. . 7,1,2,3,4,5,6 . . . we get the B diminished triad 3800 within the Cmajor scale 3200, i.e. . . . 7,1,2,3,4,5,6 . . . or 7,2,4. This isillustrated in FIG. 38. Another example is to apply the four notepattern to the mode . . . 2,3,4,5,6,7,1 . . . , which produces the Dminor seventh chord 3900 within the C major scale, i.e. . . .2,3,4,5,6,7,1 . . . or 2,4,6,1. This is illustrated in FIG. 39.Similarly, if we apply the four note pattern to the mode . . .5,6,7,1,2,3,4 . . . we get the G dominant seventh chord 4000 within theC major scale 3200, i.e. . . . 5,6,7,1,2,3,4 . . . or 5,7,2,4, This isillustrated in FIG. 40. Finally, if we apply the four note pattern tothe mode . . . 7,1,2,3,4,5,6 . . . we produce the B half diminishedseventh chord 4100 within the C major scale, i.e. . . . 7,1,2,3,4,5,6 .. . or 7,2,4,6. This is illustrated in FIG. 41. From the above examples,it can be seen that all of the different chord structures within the keyof C major may be created by using either the three note pattern or thefour note pattern while starting at one of the seven points on (i.e. inone of the seven modes of) the C major scale. All of the chords in anyof the other scales (major 3200, harmonic minor 3300 or melodic minor3400) may be similarly constructed.

After building each of the respective three and four-note shapes fromeach mode of the three main scales 3200, 3300 and 3400, one will findthat there is only a limited number of shapes that can be created: thatis, four three-note shapes and seven four-note shapes. There are, infact, nine four note shapes presented in the previously describeddiagrams. The last two four-note shapes represent the two jazz chords:namely, the augmented flat-seventh chord 3000 and the flat-five seventhchord 3100. These two shapes are found frequently within the jazz idiom,and although they are not built in exactly the same manner as the otherfour-note shapes, they are still derived, like everything else, directlyfrom the scales. The augmented flat-seventh chord 3000 is built from thefifth mode of the harmonic-minor scale 3300 using the following modedegrees: . . . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . . . or . . . 1,3,6,7. Therefore, applyingthis pattern to the fifth mode we have . . . 5,6,7,1,2,3,4 . . . or5,7,3,4. FIG. 42 illustrates the C harmonic-minor scale 3300 and the Gaugmented flat-seventh chord 4200 formed therein using the 5,7,3,4pattern. The flat-five seventh chord 3100 is built from the fourth modeof the melodic-minor scale 3400 on mode degrees . . . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 . .. or . . . 1,3,4,7. Therefore, applying this pattern to the fourth modewe have . . . 4,5,6,7,1,2,3 . . . or 4,6,7,3. FIG. 43 illustrates the Cmelodic-minor scale 3400 and the F flat-five seventh chord 4300 formedtherein using the 4,6,7,3 pattern.

As can be seen from the above description, the musical language is builtprimarily from the three seven-note scales: the major scale 3200, theharmonic-minor scale 3300, and the melodic-minor scale 3400. Upon eachof the starting points of a scale, i.e., each of the seven notes ormodes, it is possible to build a particular triad (three-note shape) anda particular seventh-chord (four note shape).

*Three Scales; *Seven Notes Each; *Twenty-one possible starting points.

If a person builds every type of three and four-note chord on every oneof the twenty one starting points, after removing the repeated chords, aperson will be left with only: four ‘triads’ (three note shapes.-triangles), seven seventh chords' (four note shapes- trapezoids), andtwo Jazz ‘ seventh-chords’ (four-note shapes-.- trapezoids).

Since the number seven (seven notes) is a prime number and does not fitsymmetrically into the number twelve (twelve tones), our current systemof musical notation is inherently flawed, resulting in confusion whentrying to learn the musical language. The explanation contained herein,in conjunction with the MASTER KEY™ diagrams circumvent this problem,revealing a visual translation of the language of music. With the use ofa computer, for example, it becomes possible to see how the structuresand patterns of music actually interweave and align themselves to oneanother in real time, as described in greater detail hereinbelow.

The previously described diagrams have been shown in two dimensions;however, music is not a circle as much as it is a helix. Every twelfthnote is one helix turn higher or lower than the preceding level. Whatthis means is that music can be viewed not only as a circle but assomething that will look very much like a DNA helix, specifically, ahelix of approximately ten and one-half turns (i.e. octaves). There areonly a small number of helix turns in the complete spectrum of audiblesound; from the lowest auditory sound to the highest auditory sound.

For example, FIG. 44 illustrates a B fully diminished seventh chord 4400drawn on the twelve-tone circle 10. While this diagram is very usefulfor illustrating the notes that comprise the chord and the intervalsbetween the notes, it only gives information about the notes as theyrelate to each other, i.e. their relative pitch to one another. Thediagram of FIG. 44 does not give any information about the absolutepitch of any of the notes, i.e. what octave the notes are in.

In order to convey such information, the present disclosure alsocomprehends the use of three-dimensional representations of thetwelve-tone circle 10, in which the notes are arranged in a helix 100,as illustrated in FIGS. 45 through 47. In FIG. 45, the helix 100 is seenfrom the side, and the placement of the chord 4400 therein reveals theoctave in which it is being played by virtue of which turn of the helixit appears. In FIG. 46, the helix 100 has been rotated to give theviewer a perspective view. Again, the absolute pitch of the notes in thechord 4400 is indicated by the position of each note on the helix 100.It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the like notes in alloctaves lie in a substantially straight line. For example, in FIG. 46all of the notes C in each octave lie on the line 4600. Note that insome embodiments, the helix 100 is illustrated with shading to delineatethe surface of the helix 100.

As the helix 100 is further rotated, we can create the nearly end-onview of FIG. 47. Although the chord 4400 is viewed in almost the sameperspective as when it appears in the twelve-tone circle 10 of FIG. 44,the perspective of FIG. 47 still allows the viewer to determine in whichoctave the chord 4400 is being played. In some embodiments, the notelabels may be added around the helix 100 for nearly end-on views inorder to provide the viewer with points of reference.

The helix 100 becomes an even more powerful visualization tool whennotes are played across octaves. For example, FIGS. 48-51 illustratestwo C augmented triads 4800 and 4802 played simultaneously, where thechord 4802 is two octaves higher than the chord 4800. On the twelve-tonecircle 10 of FIG. 48, it is not possible to see that two separate chordsare being played, as the three notes and three intervals within both ofthe chords 4800 and 4802 completely overlap on the circle 10. But whenviewed in the helix 100 as shown in FIGS. 49-51, it becomes apparentthat there are, in fact, two chords 4800 and 4802 being soundedsimultaneously two octaves apart.

Another example of the benefits of the helix 100 for music visualizationis illustrated in FIGS. 52-55, where an F minor triad 5200 is beingplayed. In the twelve-tone circle 10 of FIG. 52, we see the familiarshape of the minor triad with its root at F. However, in the helicalviews of FIGS. 53-55, we can see that the chord 5200 has been augmentedfrom a simple three note structure, and actually covers three successiveoctaves. The A^(b) note is being played in the upper octave, the C notein the upper and middle octaves, and the F note in all three octaves. Bydisplaying the notes and their intervals in the helix 100, the viewer isable to easily see the components and internal relationships of thecomplex chord 5200, as well as its position in the overall spectrum ofsound.

A dramatic example of the power of the helix 100 is found in FIGS. 56through 59, where a C major scale 5600 is being played. Viewing thenotes on the twelve-tone circle 10 of FIG, 56, we see the scale 5600that looks identical to the C major scale 3200 of FIG. 32, with theinternal intervals drawn in. However, looking at the same scale 5600 onthe helix 100, as illustrated in FIGS. 57-59, we can see that the Cmajor scale 5600 is being played across three and one-half octaves.Again, we can also see the scale's position in the overall spectrum ofsound when viewing it in the helix 100.

With reference now to FIG. 60, there is shown a processor-based systemfor providing visual representation of music and sounds, indicatedgenerally at 6000. The system 6000 may include a first subsystem 6010including a digital music input device 6020, a sheet music input device6060 for inputting sheet music 6040, a processing device 6080, a display6100, user input devices such as keyboard 6120 and mouse 6140, a printerdevice 6160 and one or more speakers 6200. These devices are coupled toallow the input of music or other sounds, and the input of musicalnotation or other sound notation, into the processing device so that themusic or sounds may be produced by the speaker 6200 and the visualrepresentations of the music or sounds may be displayed, printed ormanipulated by users.

The digital music input device 6020 may include a MIDI (MusicalInstrument Digital Interface) instrument coupled via a MIDI port withthe processing device 6080, a digital music player such as an MP3 deviceor CD player, an analog music player, instrument or device withappropriate interface, transponder and analog-to-digital converter, or adigital music file, as well as other input devices and systems. As anexample, a keyboard with a MIDI interface may be connected to theprocessing device 6080 and the diagrams discussed herein may bedisplayed on the display 6100 as the keyboard is played. Any musicalinstrument may be so interfaced.

The scanner 6060 may be configured to scan written sheet music 6040 instandard or other notation for input as a digital file into theprocessing device 6080. Appropriate software running on a processor inthe processing device 6080 may convert this digital file into anappropriate digital music file representative of the music notated onthe scanned sheet music 6040. Additionally, the user input devices 6120,6140 may be utilized to interface with music composition or othersoftware running on the processing device 6080 (or on another processor)to generate the appropriate digital music files.

The processing device 6080 may be implemented on a personal computer, aworkstation computer, a laptop computer, a palmtop computer, a wirelessterminal having computing capabilities (such as a cell phone having aWindows CE or Palm operating system), a game terminal, or the like. Itwill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that othercomputer system architectures may also be employed.

In general, such a processing device 6080, when implemented using acomputer, comprises a bus for communicating information, a processorcoupled with the bus for processing information, a main memory coupledto the bus for storing information and instructions for the processor, aread-only memory coupled to the bus for storing static information andinstructions for the processor. The monitor 6100 is coupled to the busfor displaying information for a computer user and the input devices6120, 6140 are coupled to the bus for communicating information andcommand selections to the processor. A mass storage interface forcommunicating with a data storage device containing digital informationmay also be included in processing device 6080 as well as a networkinterface for communicating with a network.

The processor may be any of a wide variety of general purpose processorsor microprocessors such as the PENTIUM microprocessor manufactured byIntel Corporation, a POWER PC manufactured by IBM Corporation, a SPARCprocessor manufactured by Sun Corporation, or the like. It will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, however, that othervarieties of processors may also be used in an particular computersystem. Display device 6100 may be a liquid crystal device (LCD), acathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma monitor, or other suitable displaydevice. The mass storage interface may allow the processor access to thedigital information the data storage devices via the bus. The massstorage interface may be a universal serial bus (USB) interface, anintegrated drive electronics (IDE) interface, a serial advancedtechnology attachment (SATA) interface or the like, coupled to the busfor transferring information and instructions. The data storage devicemay be a conventional hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a flashdevice (such as a jump drive or SD card), an optical drive such as acompact disc (CD) drive, digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, HD DVDdrive, BLUE-RAY DVD drive, or another magnetic, solid state, or opticaldata storage device, along with the associated medium (a floppy disk, aCD-ROM, a DVD, etc.)

In general, the processor retrieves processing instructions and datafrom the data storage device using the mass storage interface anddownloads this information into random access memory for execution. Theprocessor then executes an instruction stream from random access memoryor read-only memory. Command selections and information that is input atinput devices 6120, 6140 are used to direct the flow of instructionsexecuted by the processor. Equivalent input devices 6140 may also be apointing device such as a conventional trackball device. The results ofthis processing execution are then displayed on display device 6100.

The processing device 6080 is configured to generate an output fordisplay on the monitor 6100 and/or for driving the printer 6160 to printa hardcopy. Preferably, the video output to monitor 6100 is also agraphical user interface, allowing the user to interact with thedisplayed information.

The system 6000 may also include one or more subsystems 6510substantially similar to subsystem 6010 and communicating with subsystem6010 via a network 6500, such as a LAN, WAN or the internet. Subsystems6010 and 6510 may be configured to act as a web server, a client or bothand will preferably be browser enabled. Thus with system 6000, remoteteaching and music exchange may occur between users.

In addition to visualizing music played on an instrument through a MIDIinterface, the system 6000 can implement software operating as a musicalnote extractor, thereby allowing the viewing of MP3 or other digitallyformatted music. The note extractor examines the digital music file anddetermines the individual notes contained in the music. This applicationcan be installed in any MP3 or digital music format playing device thatalso plays video, such as MP3-capable cell phones with video screens andMP3-based gaming systems like PSP. The structure of musical compositionsfrom the classical masters to today's popular bands can then bevisualized as the user listens to the music.

In one embodiment, the system 6000 may be utilized to execute theprocess schematically illustrated in FIG. 61. The system 6000 receivesvarious forms of musical input at step 6600. The musical input may be inthe form of live music performed utilizing a MIDI enabled instrument,and electronic instrument, a miked instrument (acoustic or electric),recorded music played via an MP3, CD, tape or record player (just toname a few non-limiting examples), a digital music file, a filecontaining scanned and digitized sheet music, music composed by a userinteracting with composition software, etc. At step 6602, the receivedmusical input is placed into a format that is recognized by thevisualization generator. In one embodiment, this format is a MIDI filethat contains digital representations of a sound's pitch and durationthe instant it is created. At step 6604, an optical file is generatedfor displaying a visualization of the music according to the methodsdisclosed herein. At step 6606, the optical file is displayed so that avisualization of the music represented by the received musical input canbe viewed by the user.

One important embodiment is obviously in the market of direct musiceducation, where it now becomes possible to communicate an unprecedentedfoundation of the musical language. Any instrument may be learnedthrough the techniques described herein. By directly visualizing how agiven chord or chord sequence is supposed to appear, a student caneasily correct a wrong note or finger position. Parts for additional orparticular instruments can be composed and easily added to a musicalpiece, or removed if desired. A student can be “led along” a musicallearning curve, by matching patterns on a computer screen while playingincreasingly more difficult pieces.

Because the previously described diagrams reveal such a complete, butfinite, number of musical shapes, it is possible to create a checklistof each of the various musical shapes for each particular musicalinstrument. This provides the ability to select various pieces ofwritten music for each instrument that promote a gradual andincreasingly complex method of teaching. Students can then check off thevarious musical shapes or patterns as they are played and learned. It ispossible to create a repertoire of music for any given instrument thatguarantees the playing (and learning) of every musical shape in theMASTER KEY™ diagrams. This results in the most complete foundationpossible for an instrument, just by learning a prearranged collection ofmusic.

The systems and method described herein lend themselves well tointeractive computer learning software for teaching students how to playany instrument. One of the benefits of the current invention is that itoffers the ability for an average person to learn to play, and evencompose, music of an incredible quality and depth. Musical performanceand composition via the internet (as facilitated by the system 6000)enables a community of musicians and educators from around the planetworking and learning together.

The systems and methods described herein also lend themselves well to avariety of other applications, involving music or any other sound, sincethe circle, polygon or helix may be divided up into billions ofpotential subdivisions. For example, the present invention may be usedto visualize rhythmic patterns based upon the frequency of the rhythmicsound; to improve the understanding of traditional musical notationthrough visual feedback; to promote early childhood development throughthe provision of visual stimulation in conjunction with auralstimulation; to provide visual displays for use with audio equalizationand balancing systems; to assist in tuning a musical performance venuethrough visualization of the acoustic properties of the venue; to assistin mixing and editing musical recordings; to enable software programs toautomatically compose musical compositions using the music structuresidentified herein; to assist with the calibration of a transmissionsystem through the use of visual feedback; to tune musical instruments;and to compare musical works to automatically determine theirsimilarities and differences (e.g. for copyright disputes).

Since the systems and methods of the present invention can providevisualization of any sound, they are not limited only to musicalapplications. For example, the present invention may be used in a voicerecognition system having visualization components; for a recognitionsystem for any type of sound (e.g. a glass break detector); for thearchiving of environmental sounds using visualization components; tovisualize sounds including a time domain component, where informationabout the envelope of the sound from attack to decay is presented to theviewer; to assist with speech therapy by providing visual feedback tothe student; to assist in teaching deaf students to speak by providingvisual feedback to the student; to provide voice training to singers byproviding visual feedback related to the notes they are attempting tosing; to assist with instruction in obtaining or losing an accent ordialect by providing visual feedback to the student; to assist withforeign language instruction by providing visual feedback to thestudent; to provide foreign language translation using visualizationtechniques; to provide medical treatment using visualization of audiospectrum components (e.g. a heartbeat monitor, EKG analysis software,ultrasound analysis software, etc.); for use in noise reduction filters(e.g. for cell phones, hearing aids, etc.); and to provide identityverification through visualization feedback.

Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the systemsand methods of the present invention can be applied to any activitywhere an analysis of sound is useful, regardless of whether that soundis in the form of music or even if it is within the range of the audiblehuman spectrum.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and thatall changes and modifications that come within the spirit of theinvention are desired to be protected.

What is claimed:
 1. An aid for identifying musical chords having commonrelationships between the individual notes making up the chords, the aidcomprising: a display surface; a plurality of indicia on the displaysurface, the indicia distributed substantially radially symmetricallywith respect to one another, wherein the indicia correspond to evenlyspaced notes arranged sequentially according to pitch; for each pair ofnotes making up the given initial chord, a line connecting the pair ofindicia that correspond to that pair of notes; wherein the color of eachline is a function of the number of notes separating the indiciaconnected by that line; whereby chords having common relationshipsbetween the individual notes making up the chords appear as symbolshaving a common shape and color composition, but a variable orientation.2. The aid of claim 1, wherein the plurality of indicia consists of 12indicia.
 3. The aid of claim 1, wherein the plurality of indiciaconsists of 16 indicia.
 4. The aid of claim 1, wherein the displaysurface is a computer monitor.
 5. The aid of claim 1, wherein thedisplay surface is not a computer monitor.
 6. The aid of claim 1,wherein the indicia correspond to evenly spaced notes arranged suchthat, as one proceeds in a clockwise direction, the pitch of thecorresponding notes becomes higher.
 7. The aid of claim 1, wherein thecolor of each line is a unique function of the number of notesseparating the indicia connected by that line.
 8. A model for teachingmusical relationships by graphically representing a chord, the modelcomprising: a display surface; a plurality of indicia corresponding tothe notes of a scale, the plurality of indicia distributed substantiallyradially symmetrically with respect to one another on the displaysurface; for each pair of notes making up the given initial chord, aline connecting the pair of indicia that correspond to that pair ofnotes; wherein the color of each line is a unique function of the numberof notes separating the indicia connected by that line, as follows: (1)the color of a given line is a first color if the notes connected bythat line are adjacent; (2) the color of a given line is a second colorif the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 1other note; (3) the color of a given line is a third color if the notesconnected by that line are separated from one another by 2 other notes;(4) the color of a given line is a fourth color if the notes connectedby that line are separated from one another by 3 other notes; (5) thecolor of a given line is a fifth color if the notes connected by thatline are separated from one another by 4 other notes; (6) the color of agiven line is a sixth color if the notes connected by that line areseparated from one another by 5 other notes; whereby chords havingcommon relationships between the individual notes making up the chordsappear as symbols having a common shape and color composition, but avariable orientation.
 9. The model of claim 8, wherein the plurality ofindicia consists of 12 indicia.
 10. The model of claim 8, wherein theplurality of indicia consists of 16 indicia.
 11. The model of claim 8,wherein the display surface is a computer monitor.
 12. The model ofclaim 8, wherein the display surface is not a computer monitor.
 13. Themodel of claim 8, wherein the indicia correspond to evenly spaced notesarranged such that, as one proceeds in a clockwise direction, the pitchof the corresponding notes becomes higher.